German blue rams stocking question.

[coralbandit]

I feed the rams pellet food mostly .
Some frozen blood worms and freeze dried black worms [I here they are acceptable for people with blood worm allergies ?]
I think the pellet is best in most common application.I also offer live baby brine shrimp to adults since I have them for the fry.
I would think an angel would pester the rams ?
I do have congo tetras with angels now and they exist well it appears ? Angels are hit or miss on the personality thing. Some are terrors .
I would keep the rams alone knowing what I know now.
I have had a tank full of cardinals before and as beautiful as they are they do not act the same as rams in their own tank. Mine actually come to me every time I am near their tank. When I feed one pair the pair next door is always there and trying to steal my attention !
I think they really have personality? Keep them alone and you will enjoy them like few get too !

[CoreySheli]

This is 20 gallons correct? I wouldn't recommend keeping more than a pair in there. I kept two pairs in a 60 gallon and each pair took up half the tank. Just because you can overcrowd, doesn't mean it is healthy for the fish. Also having that many fish that can get 2-3" is a lot, especially if it isn't a 20 gallon long. The footprint on a standard 20 gallon doesn't have enough floor space nor enough surface area. Also temp wise rams have been captive bred for so long now they are a lot hardier than wild caught specimens. They can be completely fine at 78 degrees Fahrenheit, although their colors will be more vibrant at slightly higher temps. With the high temps though there are less fish that you can keep, but they make great community fish. Also angels in a 20 gallon are a definite no go. I would barely even keep 1 in a 29 gallon. 20 gallons are way too short. Angels get to be about 8" tail including fins (although it does take a while to get there.) For them to be comfortable they (at minimum) need about 4" of space between the bottom of there anal guns and the top of their forsake. That is another 8" of height they need. Plus if you take into consideration the 1-2" of substrate then that is 17-19" of height minimum. You can't get that in a 20 gallon.

[kashif314]

Originally Posted by CoreySheli

This is 20 gallons correct? I wouldn't recommend keeping more than a pair in there. I kept two pairs in a 60 gallon and each pair took up half the tank. Just because you can overcrowd, doesn't mean it is healthy for the fish. Also having that many fish that can get 2-3" is a lot, especially if it isn't a 20 gallon long. The footprint on a standard 20 gallon doesn't have enough floor space nor enough surface area. Also temp wise rams have been captive bred for so long now they are a lot hardier than wild caught specimens. They can be completely fine at 78 degrees Fahrenheit, although their colors will be more vibrant at slightly higher temps. With the high temps though there are less fish that you can keep, but they make great community fish. Also angels in a 20 gallon are a definite no go. I would barely even keep 1 in a 29 gallon. 20 gallons are way too short. Angels get to be about 8" tail including fins (although it does take a while to get there.) For them to be comfortable they (at minimum) need about 4" of space between the bottom of there anal guns and the top of their forsake. That is another 8" of height they need. Plus if you take into consideration the 1-2" of substrate then that is 17-19" of height minimum. You can't get that in a 20 gallon.

Thanks for the detailed reply. No angel will be but I ll experiment with more rams and if things don't work out I can always gift them to LFS.

Originally Posted by coralbandit

I feed the rams pellet food mostly .
Some frozen blood worms and freeze dried black worms [I here they are acceptable for people with blood worm allergies ?]
I think the pellet is best in most common application.I also offer live baby brine shrimp to adults since I have them for the fry.
I would think an angel would pester the rams ?
I do have congo tetras with angels now and they exist well it appears ? Angels are hit or miss on the personality thing. Some are terrors .
I would keep the rams alone knowing what I know now.
I have had a tank full of cardinals before and as beautiful as they are they do not act the same as rams in their own tank. Mine actually come to me every time I am near their tank. When I feed one pair the pair next door is always there and trying to steal my attention !
I think they really have personality? Keep them alone and you will enjoy them like few get too !

Thanks Coral. Sorry English is not my native language so what you mean to say is that you had them with cardinals but when rams were alone in there own tank without any cardinals they show more personality. Right?

Also I have a situation. One golden ram occupied one corner and never leaves it. Comes out when i feed and goes back there and very territorial about it? I don't know if its a berried female or not as its hard to see. But definitely not a pair and a single ram. Maybe its a coincidence that some fine plant leaves went to corner itself or maybe she or he put it there like a nest or something? On the corner i saw some plant litter which was not there before. I asume that while i cleaned tank some small leaves went there but just confirming if rams do such things like marking territory by placing leaves or something. Why this ram is not swimming and just guarding that particular corner forever?

[CoreySheli]

Could be the least dominant ram and it isn't guarding its territory but that could be the only part of territory it's allowed to be in. I haven't ever experienced rams moving around leaf litter, or heard of it so I'm interested if anyone else has.

[kashif314]

Originally Posted by CoreySheli

Could be the least dominant ram and it isn't guarding its territory but that could be the only part of territory it's allowed to be in. I haven't ever experienced rams moving around leaf litter, or heard of it so I'm interested if anyone else has.

Thanks for the reply. I observed his/her behaviour and all other rams swim around and don't go after her but she goes crazy when some other rams comes near her and headbutt them away. She is even conscious about it while eating and keep checking if her place is occupied or not. Maybe she is the only female and others are male? Definitely that corner belongs to her now. No one allowed there.

[CoreySheli]

Can you get clear pics of them? I can try and sex them

[Brookster123]

Doesn't matter... balloon rams are decorative at best

[coralbandit]

Sounds like she has already laid eggs in the corner …
Look hard.

[kashif314]

Originally Posted by CoreySheli

Can you get clear pics of them? I can try and sex them

Ok. I will. I believe all are males. Maybe one gold ram is female only.

Originally Posted by coralbandit

Sounds like she has already laid eggs in the corner …
Look hard.

I couldn't see any eggs. He or she guarding that corner very strictly. I ll try and look hard again

[kashif314]

I checked and there are no eggs. This fish is healthy but not leaving the corner and kick every other fish which comes to its corner. Not interested in food even because concerned too much about leaving the spot. Definitely not sick fish. Very energetic and territorial to other fish. I made a small video of her corner. Please have a look.

https://youtu.be/knat-tdx39A